Smart Backpacker: Tuguegarao

Showing posts with label Tuguegarao. Show all posts

Saturday, March 2, 2013

Second Trip to Tuguegarao

It was year 2012 when I went to Callao Caves in Cagayan Valley.

Then, I went back February 24, 2013 to Tuguegarao since I was able to get a promo flight from Manila to Tuguegarao via Cebu Pac.

Originally, the plan was to go directly to Abra and then head off to Kalinga and Apayao. Change of plan. I purchased the flight and there I was onboard the plane and looking once more at the biggest and longest river system in the Philippines, the Cagayan River.

From the airport, I went directly to Kalinga and after seeing Kalinga, I went back to Tuguegarao. http://junvillegas.blogspot.com/2013/03/passing-in-kalinga.html

I arrived around 4 pm in Tuguegarao and the bus ride to Abra was slated 7 in the evening. Plenty of time to see and roam the city!

It was a Sunday. And the first thing I did was to go and hear mass at the Tuguegarao
Cathedral, the Biggest Church in Cagayan. Built from 1761 to 1767 under the supervision of the Spanish Dominicans who came to evangelize Cagayan Valley. The Metropolitan Cathedral of Tuguegarao or the Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral is the seat of the Archdiocese of Tuguegarao and considered as the biggest Spanish-built church in the entire Cagayan Valley Region.

I stayed and finished the mass.

After the mass, I roamed the city..

I was surprised to see that they still use the horse-drawn carriage or "kalesa" as a mode of transportation in Tuguegarao. There was this mixture of the "kalesa" and the modern tricyle as modes of transportation.

from Pinoy Adventurista

Last thing to do that day was to taste again the delectable Pancit Batil Patung, Tuguegarao's Best!

Around 6 pm, I went back to the GMW terminal and waited for my ride to Vigan, Ilocos Sur.

Till next time Tuguegarao! =)

Passing in Kalinga

from Wikepedia

Kalinga is a landlocked province in the northernmost section of the Cordillera Region. It is bounded by the provinces of Cagayan and Apayao in the north, Mt. Province in the south, and Abra in the West. The greater sections of Cagayan and Isabela are found on its eastern part (from NSCB Cordillera Administrative Region).

The name Kalinga is derived from the Ibanag and Gaddang "Kalinga" which means "headhunters." In the past, headhunting was considered noble and it symbolizes bravery.

Nowadays, headhunting is no longer allowed and here I am craving to go the headhunting province.

From Manila, I took a flight to Tuguegarao via Cebu Pacific. I opted travel by air since the travel by land is 9-10 hours.

The flight from Manila to Tuguegarao, Cagayan was only 45 minutes.

I was able to avail of a promo flight from Cebu Pac and paid only P1,080.

From the airport, I boarded a tricycle and went to the terminal of the van ride to Tabuk, Kalinga. I paid P40.00 for the tricycle ride.

The first trip starts from 6:00 am and ends around 4-5 pm.

I paid P85.00 for the ride to Tabuk. Travel time was 1 hour and half hours.

From a guy who has traveled in Benguet, Mountain Province and Ifugao, I was surprised to see that Kalinga has many barren and desolate lands compared to the three provinces that I mentioned whose scenery is just breathtaking.

The primary reason why I decided to go to this province is to experience white river rafting at Chico River.

from Chico River Quest, Inc.

I've experienced river rafting in Davao, Cagayan De Oro and Quirino. And only Chico River, remains to be explored.

But I was given only one day to do this adventure and I was told that the adventure starts early in the morning and I arrived in Tabuk past 1 pm.

So much for my plan to do white river rafting at Chico River. See http://www.chicoriverquest.com/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Chico-River-Quest-Inc/260120161109

And so I ended up going only to the St. William Cathedral Church, the Provincial Hall of Kalinga and the nearby park.

I stayed only in Tabuk for two hours before I decided to go back to Tuguegarao. From Tuguegarao, the plan was to go to Abra.

Beforehand, I also planned to go to Kabugao, Apayao. But I was told that there was only one trip scheduled early in the morning to Kabugao and the travel time is more or less 3 hours using a van. And so there goes my plan to Kabugao. I planned to go to Kabugao and then crossed it going to Abra.

Well, I was not able to do river rafting at Chico River neither go to Kabugao. But still the experience of going to Tabuk, Kalinga is one treasure I would cherish.

Around 3 pm, I went back to Tuguegarao.

I paid P85.00 again for the van ride. And went back to Tuguegarao with a smile. I told myself, " I will return.. I will do river rafting at Chico River."

Saturday, February 2, 2013

Callao Caves

Cagayan Valley is composed of five provinces: Batanes, Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, and Quirino. And I have toured all the said provinces. Batanes is number one spot in the region.

Most of the region lies in a large valley in northeastern Luzon, between the Cordilleras and the Sierra mountain ranges.

from www.myspace.com

Cagayan Valley is the second largest region of the Philippines in terms of land area.

Among the numerous tourist spots in Cagayan, there are three spots that I like most.

First is the Cagayan river which is the longest river in the Philippines.

From cagayanvalley

Second, is the Palaui Island in the northwestern part in the municipality of Santa Ana, Cagayan province.

And the third, is the Callao Caves..

from www.flickerriver.com

December 22, 2011

Christmas was fast approaching and I am off to Cagayan to see the famous Callao Caves.

From the plane, I was able to see the aerial view of the longest river in the Philippines, Rio De Grande Cagayan.

It was an early flight and it was cloudy that day.

Past an hour, the Cebu Pacific flight landed in Tuguegarao.

I hurriedly went to the city and went to the public market of Tuguegarao and I was able to hire a tricycle ride to Penablanca, Cagayan. I opted using the tricycle because there was no available jeepney ride that day.

Penablanca, Cagayan is the cave capital of the Philippines. In Peñablanca alone, there are 300 caves, most of them unexplored.

I cannot recall exactly how much I paid the tricycle that day but I am certain that it did not exceed P500.00. It was also my ride back to the city.

Travel time to the jump-off point is almost an hour.

The connecting bridge was destroyed by the last typhoon and the tricycle itself had to board a barge in order to reach the other side. A river runs through the locality.